shes too perfectly pretty to be AKB if its makes any sense. like she will stood up too much amongst the others. not saying that 48 members are not pretty, but i always find almost all past members beautiful in a quirky approachable ways. but it might be a management decision to fish more fans. and its good to have a girl this pretty every now and then.
Sha was affiliated with Stardust promotion, under the name Kitano Natsu Nana (北野夏 北野夏々) She was a member of an aspiring actress group named Allways Thankyou
She directly got my attention when I first saw her, she's so pretty and I like her smile! I'm not surprised that management made her center the 19th gen debut performance, she will definitely become popular! and we got to hear her voice during her solo part in the performance, she has a nice voice! I saw that she used to be a member of another group before with a different name (btw little correction @lionel90, her name was Kitano Nana) and there are actually so many past photos and videos of her! I'll share some of it later ^^ Itomomo in the 19th gen's debut performance She's at 2000 followers on Twitter in 1 hour! wow.
Honestly she looks like a senbatsu member already. I wouldn't be angry if management decided to mega-push her in 64th single. Just give her the Ai-chan treatment, this girl is a true gem.
I did a little deep dive into her old post on the Stardust blogs. First off, it seems she has acting aspirations. C'mon add her and sae into this new akb drama Lots of stage acting experience! her first blog she wrote when she was 16! looks pretty similar to the current itomomo, just a little older and more refined now she introduced herself pretty similar to her akb intro with rakugo and dancing. she also mentions liking korean food (and other spicy food) she hates losing and is stubborn . Lots of her blogs focuses on her practicing for a stage play? I tried to access the official site of the play she was practicing in but the link was dead... and the twitter page and IG page are dead as well. I did find a picture of her character for it though cute JK character! After her stage play wrapped up at the end of 2020, she did not post again till July 2022 (!) and reintroduced herself again. 18yo itomomo! she wrote again because she was gonna perform in another run of this same play "Do It Over". Seems during the first run in 2020, it was during covid times so it was only streamed with no audience? But this run was to be with a crowd so she is excited! Also seem she has passed the university entrance exams at this time so perhaps she is college student now? Seems she has been dancing ballet since she was 3 years old which she used to help her dancing in the stage. 19yo itomomo! 5 months of no blogs later in Feb 2023, she posted AGAIN to reintroduce herself for... another run of the Do it Over stage... . Another blog in April 2023 for the end of the stage run to summarize her thoughts... The last blog she wrote was in July 2023 where she got to be in another stage, her 4th time. She introduced herself again. Apparently after an personality test, she is an ENFP? I guess an extroverted type? Seems she started an personal IG at this time but it is currently deleted. https://www.instagram.com/nana_kitano_official/ (btw I guess she used the stage name kitano nana for Stardust and... Ito Momoka is her real name? ) I dug through the IG of this stage play she was in and the latest pic I can find with her is in Sept of 2023 when the show run ended. Makes sense with 19ki applications starting in late Oct 2023. Guess she finished up there and applied to AKB! Good girl some cute pictures from this IG page That is about it of all I can find from that era... Looking forward to her time in AKB
^ Nice informations! I hope Itomomo gets to have some acting jobs in AKB. Recently AKB had a movie (Girls Drive), soon a drama (she should try and audition for it! she might get in), I think 17th gen got to do a drama as a prize? (not released yet) and Yukinee had that one-episode Nyan Nyan Kamen on Eizo. Sae and Hina also got to act in a drama not long after debut. Since Itomomo has some acting experience, hopefully management will help her to get acting opportunities! and maybe if they do some new stage play with AKB like those past Majisuka musicals or the AKB49 musical (I love the AKB plays >.<), they could include her since she apparently acted in stage plays so far. Btw it's been a day and a few hours since the 19th gens opened Twitter and Itomomo is already at 6000 followers right now! That's really great, she might reach 10k in no time o_o it's a little crazy. Especially in current times for AKB. it really shows that there's a lot of interest in her already o_o Let's see how it goes... First, we need to know more about her and the other 19th gens so hopefully their intro show is soon! >.< Btw the other girls are also doing pretty good in followers, it's nice to see ;D Speaking of her pre-AKB era, there's a short video on YouTube! She's on the right! if the video does not show watch the video here The other girl was also in her group maybe? it seems to be a promotion for the stage play that she was doing. The video description has the storyline; it happens in 1988 in a classroom of girls who are singing, and there's a story about someone being in love. Itomomo looks really pretty in the video ^^ They were talking about how they get along with the cast, they played werewolf during breaks (she needs to play werewolf with the KKS now too please >.<) and then Itomomo talked about how she was counting the calories of gummies. She was cute when she explained this ^^ She also appeared on a show the same day (it was in March 2023), it's here but sadly it's paid content. Here's a picture taken from the show's official account:
itomomo answered some questions for 48times, here's a little summary! https://48times.com/newsDetail/2880 Itomomo doesn't remember when she first learned about akb, it's always been around her life! She learned Koi Suru dance faster than anyone in the 4th grade from watching videos on her ipad (what a KID) She auditioned for akb because she received courage from idols and wanted to be in a position to give it to others too. Before her intro stage at the concert, she was very scared but performing on it was very fun! She felt very warmly welcomed by the fans. Admires Maho, she loves her face and her talking ability. She wants to talk to Zukky who dancing she loves. Of 48g graduated members, she admires Oshima Yuko who does idol and acting! Itomomo wants to follow the same path of idol and acting. Wants to try dancing to Nemo Hamo and Oosawagi Tengoku. She is really interested in these dance songs! Her fav song of the entire 48g is Oogoe Diamond. A unit she wants to do is Heart Gata Virus Among her fellow 19ki, she believes she has the loudest voice! Itmomo is not good at drawing.. she like to draw but her ability is lacking.. Favorite color is pink Of all 48g graduated member, she wants to meet Oshima Yuko If she ever centers an AKB song one day, she wants it to be a dance song. She is confidant in her dance skills and want to show it off! But rather than a cool dance song, she wants a kawaii dance song with pink frilly costumes If she wasn't an idol, she would have aim for a job that used english and communicates with people around the world. Apparently she is studying English at school! Obsessed with cooking lately, she cooks for her family once a week. Some self produced projects for 48times she wants to do are cosmetic/skincare one or a rakugo project
Link (the dog she sleeps with every night) Just had a shoot and came home, that's why her hair is tied up like this. (FOR WHAT ) She noted this is probably the first time she has shown the not straight long hair style Her first stream from home! excited for the 17ki zenkoku tour. she was stalking twitter when tickets results were announced and saw many LOST (I'm scared too to apply for the yokohama date ) someone in the comments said they won and made an itomomo uchiwa itomomo said sleep is important and lately she was able to sleep alot! she is in tip top condition. she gets about 9 hours a night she contemplating a.. fan mark? I suppose its an emoji to use kinda like zukky and a ribbon. she notes she put a ribbon and a feather in her profile Got some towers but couldn't find the name , free gifts be clogging up the gifts tab seems meimei is in the comments? she did comment on itomomo's SR twitter post after excited for the upcoming talk events! seems she already sold out all her online and offline slots fans must be excited to meet her too talked about the dog plush she sleeps with. she always need something to hug at night so she crushed it every night. she always finds it on the floor in the morning though Since there are so many senpais from Saitama, she wants to do some kind of local show with them! Mentioned recording nemousu with 18ki. (I CAN'T WAIT ) First time talking to them! They are so good at talking and guides her along well. Such reliable senpais She gets muscle pain every time at dance lessons. After she joined akb and had some basic dance lessons, since she haven't exercised in a while and was so dead after took a week to recover. she is in better shape now though! finally showed off her artistic abilties! um its a CROCODILE "I'm pretty good huh" this one actually looks pretty good she mentioned that kairi is actually really good at drawing too noted! still thinking about penlight combo. she likes pink even though lots of senpai use pink. she will think about it some more! she is wearing a color contact today because of the shoot (apparently introduced to her by miyuu). she normally wears normal contacts... she say she is MEGA SUPER BLIND! can't see nothing without her glasses or contacts doesn't know the choreography to colorcon winku yet that was a pretty fun stream. her SR ability is pretty high!
I promised myself not to post much about 19ki, to leave it to others to update..... and here I am... It's Monday, so new installment of Weekly Playboy's "Why AKB48 in Reiwa?" is out! After Azu and Yukinee, this time it's Itomomo's turn! Video if the video does not show watch the video here Interview article (Part 1 of 2) https://wpb.shueisha.co.jp/news/entertainment/2024/04/15/122867/ Translation of the article supported by ChatGPT (tell me if you see any errors!): AKB48 19th Generation Research Student Momoka Ito: "In the audition, I wanted to leave a lasting impression, so I performed Rakugo" [New Series: Why AKB48 in the Reiwa Era?] AKB48 made its debut in Akihabara on December 8, 2005 (Heisei 17). It has produced stars such as Atsuko Maeda, Minami Takahashi, Haruna Kojima, Mariko Shinoda, Yuko Oshima, and Rino Sashihara, becoming a nationally recognized idol group. Over a decade has passed since then, the era has changed to Reiwa, and new star candidates continue to join. In a different situation from before, what did these girls think and aim for when they decided to join AKB48? We explore the charm of the fresh members through in-depth interviews! In the third installment, we feature Momoka Ito (いとう・ももか), a 19th-generation research student who was just unveiled at the "AKB48 Spring Concert 2024 in PIA Arena MM" held on March 17th of this year. She garnered attention as the center among the 19th-generation members in her debut performance. In the first part, she talked about her lively childhood and her hobby of rakugo. ■ I once set a new record at the city championships in long-distance running ―― What were you like when you were little? Ito: While everyone was playing tag, I was busy making shiny mud dumplings. I didn't join any groups; I was the type to do things my own way. When my mother came to visit kindergarten, she was like, "What's my child doing?" (laughs). ―― So you didn't have any friends? Ito: It's not like I didn't have friends; when I was happily making mud dumplings, someone would join me. When I entered elementary school, I played dodgeball with boys. ――So you were active. Ito: I loved moving around, and during breaks, I preferred going outside to play rather than staying indoors. I think I got a 5 in physical education on my report card. (Note: 5 is the highest score in this type of report cards) I liked running, and I once set a new record at the city championships in long-distance running when I was in fourth grade. ――You were quite an athlete! Ito: I was when I was little. I wasn't slow in short distances, but when the distance got longer, everyone would get tired and slow down, right? I'm the type who doesn't want to lose at such times, so I pushed myself to run. I also did ballet from the age of three. According to my mother, I suddenly said I wanted to do ballet. I continued until the second year of junior high school, when I quit to focus on entrance exam studies. ――How good were you at ballet? Ito: I didn't participate in any major competitions, but I did participate in a pre-competition called "pre-concours" when I was in the first year of junior high school. It's like a qualifying round where you stand on stage in front of the judges. ――What club were you in during junior high school? Ito: I was in the brass band club. When I was in elementary school, I saw a friend's mother playing the flute, and I fell in love with the sound. I heard it was a popular instrument, so I bought a flute a little early and in the sixth grade I was selected for the flute part as an "experienced" player. ――That was a smart move. Is the brass band club tough? Ito: Our school hadn't won any awards until then, but our generation was very motivated. We all worked hard together, incorporated physical training, and received a silver award at the summer tournament in our third year of junior high school. ――What were you like at school? Ito: I was a class representative in both elementary and junior high school. Since I liked to stand out, I raised my hand voluntarily (laughs). It wasn't like I was chosen because I could lead well; I was selected because I seemed like I would make things interesting. ――By the way, how good were you at studying? Ito: I was extremely oriented towards the humanities, and I was really bad at math and physics. I once scored 15 points in high school math (wry smile). ――That's not good... Ito: I used to study very hard until I entered high school. Everyone around me was working so hard, so I didn't want to lose. I memorized everything from the textbooks and problem statements. I also worked hard on regular tests and always ranked in the top 20 in my grade. ――You're really competitive. Did you continue with the brass band club in high school? Ito: I joined the dance club. Originally, I was full of enthusiasm for the brass band, but when I saw seniors doing dance performances, it struck a chord with me... Unlike ballet, which is smooth and elegant, it was cool. I did hip-hop and jazz dance. It wasn't strict, and we weren't good at competitions, but we just had fun doing it. ■Oshima Yuko and Omori Maho are my oshimen ――I heard your hobby is rakugo, which is quite unusual. Ito: My father has always liked it. When I was in the later years of elementary school, he took me to a solo performance by Tachikawa Dansyun. At first, I didn't understand at all. But my father was laughing loudly beside me, regardless of me. Then he took me to a comedy theater, and he was in a rakugo circle, where they performed children's rakugo like "Jugem" and "Tokisoba," which I found funny. From then on, I gradually started reading rakugo books. ――Have you ever performed rakugo? Ito: Around sixth grade, I happened to see a flyer for a rakugo workshop. My father also encouraged me to go, and I was taught the performance of "Tanusatsu" by the instructor, Sanyutei Onimaru. Now I like Shunpūtei Ichinosuke. I saw him at the Suzumoto Theater, and I thought he was very good at portraying children. He also appears on "Shoten," and even though he's very busy, he always makes time for comedy theaters, which I think is wonderful for valuing his roots. ――And how did you encounter AKB48? Ito: Honestly, I don't remember what age I was when I encountered them; it just became a part of my daily life. In elementary school, I danced "Koi Suru Fortune Cookie" in front of the entire school. I thought the dance was cute, so I kept watching the MV on the iPad at home. ――Do you have any favorite members? Ito: For those who have graduated, it's Oshima Yuko. She's just so cheerful, and watching her dance gives me energy. She's now active as an actress, and since I like acting, I hope to be like Oshima-san someday. Among the current members, I like Omori Maho. I like her face, but she's also good at chatting, and everyone around her becomes brighter. I hope I can chat like Omori-san and make everyone around me feel at ease someday. ――It seems you were also involved in entertainment activities before. What kind of things did you do? Ito: I belonged to a theater company where people who were like aspiring actresses appeared, and I did stage performances. But I took a break for exams and focused on my studies, so it didn't go very well. At that time, I happened to have the opportunity to perform with an idol, and I thought, "Idols are so sparkling." Seeing them made me want to become an idol too. As time went on, it was summer of my second year of university. I thought that if I was going to take a new path, it would be now, before I started job hunting in my third year of university, so I left my previous agency. And I was looking for auditions for idols, and at that time, AKB48 was recruiting. The age limit for AKB48 was 19, and I applied in November, but I turned 20 in December, so it was really just in time. ――If it had been one month later, you wouldn't have been able to join AKB48. It's a fateful encounter. How was the audition? Ito: It was my first idol audition, so I was surprised by the number of people, and I reflected on it every time the audition ended and I couldn't do well. Since the judges were seeing so many people, I wanted to leave a lasting impression, so in the third round of auditions, I thought I would only have rakugo, and I performed the beginning part of "Tanusatsu." I'm glad I learned it (laughs). ――How did you feel when you passed? Ito: The results were delivered by email, but I couldn't believe it and looked at it several times. I had been reporting to my family every time I passed an audition, so I reported it to them for the last time, and that day we all ate cake and celebrated together. My two-year-younger sister was surprised and said, "Huh? Momoka-chan is in AKB48?" (To be continued) [New Series "Why AKB48 in the Reiwa Era?" will be updated every Monday. Momoka Ito's debut live performance and future goals will be featured in the second part, scheduled for April 22nd!]
It's Monday again, so Weekly Playboy's "Why AKB48 in Reiwa?" Interview article (Part 2 of 2) https://wpb.shueisha.co.jp/news/entertainment/2024/04/22/122936/ Video if the video does not show watch the video here Translation of the article supported by ChatGPT (tell me if you see any errors!): AKB48 19th Generation Research Student Ito Momoka: "AKB48 is my hope, courage, and emotional support" [New Series: Why AKB48 in the Reiwa Era?] In the third installment, we spoke with Ito Momoka (いとう・ももか), a 19th Generation Research Student who was just unveiled at the "AKB48 Spring Concert 2024 in PIA Arena MM" on March 17th of this year. In the first part, she shared her love for rakugo and talked about her audition experience. In the second part, we delved into the behind-the-scenes of her unveiling and her future goals. ■ The First Stage was Glittering with Penlights, and the Cheers were Amazing ―― After passing the audition for the 19th generation, you met the members for the first time. How did it feel? Ito: There were a few faces I had seen at the audition venue, so I was happy to see them again, but there were only five of us. "Is this it?" I was surprised. ―― Indeed, there are 10 members in the 17th generation and 8 in the 18th. Ito: But we quickly became friends. We announced our MBTI (personality types) on the same day, and the youngest, Sarii (Shiratori Sari), suggested, "Shouldn't we make a LINE group?" And Meimei (Hanada Mei) went around asking everyone for their LINE contacts. ―― As the oldest member of the 19th generation, do you feel like you're taking the lead? Ito: I do a lot of greetings to the seniors and things like that, but with the 19th generation, Sarii and Meimei are very reliable and take the lead. ―― Older members of AKB48 often get teased by their peers. Ito: I don't know about being teased, but I'm the type to joke around a lot, and everyone laughs at me (laughs). I haven't been able to show that character in front of the fans yet, though. ―― Has your life changed since becoming an idol? Ito: I had an image of lazing around at home during spring break, so I was surprised to find myself dancing and doing vocal training every day. But I'm the type who likes to keep busy, so I'm really happy that every day is fulfilling. ―― Your unveiling took place at PIA Arena MM (Yokohama) during the spring concert. Ito: When I heard we were going to do it, I was amazed, and when I told my father, he bought concert tickets for that day. ―― He wanted to see his daughter's big moment. In front of 10,000 people. Ito: I was really worried about appearing in front of so many people for the first time, and with only five of us. It was really daunting, and I wondered how we could make the fans feel that the 19th generation research students were worth seeing. We talked it over and tried to synchronize our dances, increase the height of our jumps, and encourage each other by saying, "As long as we're enjoying ourselves and singing with smiles, it'll be okay." ―― Did the seniors give you any advice? Ito: At the general rehearsal, the general director (Soukantoku), Mukaichi (Mion) -san, said, "You were really good," and that gave me a lot of confidence. ―― Were the lessons tough? Did you ever feel like giving up? Ito: I'm really bad at memorizing choreography and not good at making it my own on the spot, so there were times when I couldn't get it right and felt frustrated enough to cry. ―― You were the center for "Gingham Check," which was performed by the five of you. Ito: At first, I was really anxious about whether I was right for it. But since I'm the oldest and if I, as the center, look unsure, it'll make everyone else look unsure too. Since I was entrusted with it, I was determined to see it through. I studied my expressions and movements, and if I thought something was off, I corrected it after watching practice videos. ――You have a strong sense of responsibility. How was it actually performing? Ito: The penlights were sparkling, and the cheers were amazing. It was unbelievable to me that I could stand in such a place. Honestly, I don't remember much about the stage, but when I watched the footage later, I realized that we had done it properly. ■ Someday, I Want to Be Someone Who is Trusted to be the Center in AKB48 ――Are there any challenges you've faced since joining AKB48? Ito: Not at the moment. I've always wanted to do more entertainment activities. But there were times when I gave up before. Now that I have plans every day and am grateful for the various opportunities given to me. I'm not without worries about making mistakes or causing trouble, but right now, I'm more excited about new things. ――So, this is your chance to continue the activities you've been seeking. How do you see AKB48 from your perspective? Ito: It's different from the AKB48 I knew in elementary school. The synchronized dances are very appealing. AKB48 is such an attractive group, so I hope more people in the world get to know about it. ――Currently, the 19th generation research students are attracting attention. Ito: New members tend to gather some attention. I want to seize this opportunity and make the most of it. I want to strive to aim higher without being complacent with the current situation. ――Are there any things you'd like to try in the future? Ito: I really admire how the 17th and 18th generation members perform songs for each generation, so I hope someday the 19th generation research students can also perform a song as a group of five. ――Please tell us about your future dreams. Ito: Someday, I want to be someone who can be trusted to be a center in AKB48. Like Kashiwagi Yuki-san, someone who represents "AKB48." ――What do you think is necessary for that? Ito: First, I need to master the basics of idol dancing and singing. Since I still have a long way to go, I want to learn a lot from my seniors and improve my skills, including expressions and how I present myself. Also, since AKB48 has many members, I hope to showcase my uniqueness within the group. ――Finally, what does AKB48 mean to you? Ito: It's hope. I've always wanted to be an idol, and being able to join AKB48 was truly a beacon of hope for me... AKB48 is really a source of hope, courage, and emotional support for me. Seeing the hard work of idols before me gave me the courage to strive as well. Since I was able to join AKB48 like this, next, I want to be someone who can give courage to others. 【The new series "Why AKB48 in the Reiwa Era?" is updated every Monday. Next time, on April 29th, Masai Mayuu, who is also active in swimsuit gravure, will be featured!】
